A headline of a 2019 Forbes article delivered a blunt message to those of us who practice estate law: “Electronic wills are coming whether lawyers like it or not.” The article notes that the U.S. Uniform Law Commission “recognizes the trend in online everything” and recently approved the Electronic Wills Act, which provides a framework […]
Electronic wills may be ‘inevitable’ but they have drawbacks Read More »
It is a scenario no person wants to contemplate, but there is a chance that someone close to you could suddenly die, perhaps due to an accident or natural causes. Here is some general guidance about what to do in that situation. You can arrange a traditional funeral with the assistance of your local funeral
A loved one has died. Here are the steps you should take next Read More »
It’s a good idea to update your will every five years since everyone’s personal situation keeps changing. Maybe you were married, separated, had a child or moved to the other side of the country; the possibilities are endless. If you are a parent, it is especially important to have a legal professional look at your
Why it is important to update a will as your family ages Read More »
If you are asked to be someone’s estate trustee/executor, you may wonder what liability you are assuming. That is on top of the regular workload, as settling the testator’s financial affairs and distributing the remaining assets to their beneficiaries usually takes a year, involving visits to banks, lawyers and other relevant parties. Much can happen
Know your liability when serving as an estate trustee/executor Read More »
When parents consider who should be the guardian of their minor-age children in the event they both were to die, they are probably thinking in terms of who will assume parenting responsibilities. In Ontario, however, there is an important distinction between the custodial guardian and the guardian of property, the latter being the person who
Tips on how to appoint a guardian for your children Read More »
A person’s Last Will and Testament allows them to not only determine how their estate is distributed upon their death, but can also set out their expectations on how to care for their minor-aged children. To ensure that the needs of the child can be met, here are some of the elements that should be
If you have children, here’s what you need to include in a will Read More »
There are some important milestones in life when it is imperative for a person to update their will. A later-in-life second marriage certainly is one of them. If your first marriage ended in divorce, the provisions in your will that refer to your spouse are automatically revoked, as provided by s. 17(2) of the Succession
Drawing up new wills is vital with later-in-life marriages Read More »
